The Wraith
by WenchBiscuit
Summary: Five years before the war for the ring occurred, Sakura a young spirit was sent to the Middle Earth by the Valar to aid its free people in the fight against the evil that is Sauron. Well that was supposed to be the mission, no more no less. So why does her heart pound every time her eyes meet a certain Elven Prince's?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Wraith

**Author: **WenchBiscuit

**Beta-ed by: **None

**Summary**: Five years before the War for the One Ring occurred, Sakura a young spirit was sent to the Middle Earth by the Valar to aid its free people in the fight against evil that is Sauron. Well that was supposed to be the mission, no more no less. So why does her heart pound every time her eyes meet a certain Elven Prince's?

**Genre**: Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship, Action and Romance

**Pairings**: Haruno Sakura and Legolas of Mirkwood

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and Naruto are properties of J.R.R. Tolkien and Misashi Kashimoto.

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**Chapter 1**

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Five years before the War of the Ring...

Gandalf the Grey had seen many things in his long life in middle earth, he had lived through one adventure after another, had seen numerous Kings rise and fall and had even stared death in eye so many times that he could dare jest that they were friends.

For the past fifty-five years, since he helped the Dwarfs in reclaiming their homeland Erebor, from the dragon Smaug, Gandalf had searched for his friend and fellow Istari, Aiwendil or more commonly known as Radagast the Brown. All those years he had wondered what fate had befallen his kin, after their hurried parting in the hidden Valley of Imladris.

No one had seen nor heard of his whereabouts, at first, Gandalf had attributed it to Radagast's inherent hermetic nature, but after seeing the threat that Sauron posted on the middle earth and all its inhabitants he implored his friend Elrond, Lord of Rivendell to actively seek out his fellow Istari.

Yet even Elrond's most cunning hunters have never tracked down the missing Wizard. By then, Gandalf consulted his own chief Saruman about his worries, fearing the worst kind of fate had befallen Radagast, pointing out that no matter how much reclusive the Wizard could be he would send word to the order should he ever decide to leave middle earth for the undying lands.

Saruman only scoffed at his findings, saying that the Radagast must have been holed in one of the twenty-five forest that surrounded Middle Earth, _"He must be occupied with one of his animals or out chatting with the Ents, Valar only knows how long that would take them"_

To this Gandalf reluctantly relented, but still held some doubts, after all he had more pressing worries at that time with Sauron gathering his forces for reasons unknown.

That is until a vision came to him.

It was the Manwe King of Valar and Yavanna Queen of the Earth. The Holy ones came to him when he was about to leave the gates of Dol Guldur, saying that they had spied his efforts in looking for Radagast. At their words Gandalf felt dread flood his very being, for rarely did the Holy ones present themselves to their chosen Istari, preferring to give them more freedom and freewill on how they chose to fulfill the various tasks given to them.

And for them to choose to seek him out through a waking vision all the way from Aman could mean a very horrible thing had come to pass or will happen in the future.

But Gandalf stubbornly held hope in his heart, and so before Manwe or Yavanna could talk, he hurriedly inquired about the brown Wizard's whereabouts for they are more powerful than him, their eyes more far seeing.

When Gandalf saw lady Yavanna avert her eyes he knew that they were here to bring him the unfortunate news of Radagast's death. Yet when asked, both adamantly refused to say who took his life. Instead Manwe warned him of the shadow that lurked in the horizon and cautioned him of a betrayal that will come, from who he did not say.

However it was Yavanna's words that surprised him the most, the Lady was truly saddened by Radagast's passing but told him not to worry. "_Varda had predicted Radagast's death _" the giver of fruits whispered softly "_Nevertheless, in his passing a new flower will bloom, a flower that would breath new life to the Middle-Earth, she will be like no other being that has ever walked these lands. She lies asleep in heart of Fangorn guarded by the Ents, vulnerable and small, nothing but a young sapling_."

At this Manwe spoke once more;

_ "Olorin, we know what troubles your mind but be at peace for this child will not be another burden that you will carry, but will be one of the swords that you will wield in your fight against evil. The War for the Ring will come sooner than you think yet it will not be the only battle you will face,_ _strengthen your heart dear Olorin, for although the stars will be veiled in darkness, you will find one of your lights shining in the most unexpected place." _

"She? In the Fangorn forest?" Gandalf looked perplexed, "But what shall I ever do with this "_Her_" person?"

Yavanna and Manwe only smiled before the vision ended and left Gandalf standing in the gates of Dol Guldur, seeing no reason to doubt his betters, he traveled fast with his faithful Mearh galloping over the North Undeep and the Wold never taking rest until he reached the edges of the Fangorn Forest at sunrise of the second day. Quickly dismounting he set his steed free to rest after their arduous journey, clutching his staff in his right hand Gandalf began his march to the heart of the ancient forest.

The moment he entered, the Wizard heard the whispers of the trees, the joy in their voices not hard to distinguish, for the season of blooming had come to the lands. Stopping under an ancient chestnut tree Gandalf asked for directions. After almost an hour of walking he reached a wide clearing, there he saw a few chattering Ents gathered around in what he presumed as a huge budding flower with the color of pale rose, it was emitting a soft glow from inside.

"Greetings Master Fangorn" he called over the clearing, raising his arms in salutation, Gandalf's voice booming through-out the forest. Upon hearing his name the most ancient of Ents stood up and turned, Treebeard recognized the Wizard immediately.

The Ent joyously greeted the him in return,"Master Gandalf! It brings me great joy to see you once more!"

"Likewise, Master Fangorn" Gandalf graciously replied, meeting Treebeard in the middle of the clearing."It has been a long time since I came for a visit. Yet I am ashamed to say that the reason I am here now is because of the little flower that is under your protection."

"Flower? Oh, you mean that little bud-ling?" The Ent exclaimed, pointing at the flower. "Such a strange occurrence I tell you my friend, it grew overnight!" throwing his has up as if to emphasize how it had truly surprised him, Treebeard said," Why yesterday at sundown that young bud was the size of my palm, barely giving off a flicker of light, now look how big it is!"

Once again Gandalf glanced at the flower bud, from what he could see from where he was standing, it was only a little bigger than a barrel of ale and as wide as one too. It was placed in the edge of the clearing a few feet away from an old oak tree, at its foot were a riot of dried leaves, twisting vines, and roots.

"As big as a palm you say?" He asked a bit incredulous, never had he heard of a plant that could grow as fast as the Ent had described, but then why should he doubt Treebeard? If the Lady Yavanna's words were to be believed there was something growing inside that closed-up flower that would could cause it to grow at an unprecedented rate, "_Her" _the holy ones called, no name or race was mentioned and as per usual the Valar chose to speak in riddles.

The Wizard grudgingly admitted that he had no knowledge of what the Holy Ones had been planning by send him here, yet he could not blame them, for he too had been curious of the Lady Yavanna's words, a trait that sometimes he wished he could cast aside. Gandalf could only sigh resignation.

"Truly, Master Gandalf" Treebeard was quick to assure him,"We have been watching for the whole night, and the only thing it did was grow bigger and brighter. Do you have any idea what it is?"

Gandalf turned around Treebeard to move closer to the flower, inspecting it more thoroughly. Knowing from previous meetings that the Wizard will only tell him the answer to his inquiry when he is truly good and ready, the Ent quietly-as much as his size allowed him to-fell a step beside him.

"Radagast is no more" Gandalf whispered under his breath, he saw no reason to keep this knowledge all to himself knowing that Radagast's death will soon be known by everyone in the Middle-Earth. The Istari knew of the close bond shared between his fellow Wizard and the Ancient Ent, Gandalf truly regretted being the one to bear this news.

His words might have been bellowed for he did not expect to hear the whole forest moan in grief.

"By the roots of the Gods!" The surprised Ent shook so bad that Gandalf could see some of his leaves fall "Why Master Gandalf? Why? Why would they kill him? Who took away his life?!"

The Wizard had to take a few step back as Treebeard, in his anger, suddenly turned to face him, blocking his sight. Gandalf looked around to see that all the previously occupied Ents around the flower looking at him, their usually docile faces full of expectation, waiting for him to answer their elder's question.

"Was it not just a fortnight ago that you came here looking for him?"

"Master Fangorn that was thirty years ago" Gandalf corrected the upset creature. "Ragadast had been missing much, much longer than that, fifty-five summers to be precise. I have long since wondered what fate had befallen our friend, I tried to looking for him, but I did not think of the worst for I still held hope that no matter what circumstances that might have kept him, I could have found a way to help him" Once again Gandalf moved around the ancient being to better see the reason for his journey here. The Ents surrounding the flower bud moved aside to give-way so that he may stand directly in front of it.

"But perhaps it was my arrogance that had kept me in believing in that sentiment, for a vision came to me, the Lady Yavanna herself said that he is no longer in these lands. She refused to tell me who slayed Radagast"

Being the Wizard that looked after the flora and fauna of the Middle-Earth for thousands of years it was understandable that Radagast was close to his charges, preferring their company than of any other creatures.

"Ohh, he was such a dear friend to us." Treebeard bemoaned, "Kind and ever ready to listen to our silly troubles even though he knew that it would take us days to finish" Treebeard sighted once more, "Today, I have lost dear friend"

Gandalf too felt the sadness in Radagast's passing, but he knew that no matter how or where he died, he would always return to Eru, the Father of them all.

"Please do not be sad my good friend, it was not my intention to cause this much grief to all of you, I am sure that Radagast would be much saddened if he could see you right now, I am certain that he would rather like you to remember the good memories that you had with him, rather than grieve his death."

There was a fair amount of silence before he saw Treebeard shake his head in agreement, "As expected of you Master Gandalf, your words carry much wisdom. You are right, we should celebrate life! After all, death is only the beginning to another journey"

The Wizard nodded in agreement glad that the Ent was back to his usual amenable self.

"I am pleased that I have helped you in this my friend. And since we are already in the subject of life, part of the reason why I came here is because Lady Yavanna directed me so. It concerns this young bud-ling " Gandalf gestured to the flower.

Momentarily setting aside his grief Treebeard took his place behind the Wizard. The Ent's curiosity was aroused, "Truly? Does this mean that this flower had something to do with Radagast's death? If so why is she here? In my many years in this is Earth this is the only time I have seen such thing. Is there something inside?"

"That I do not know" Gandalf chose not to speak of the person that might be inside the flower bud, the fewer the people knew about the Valar's words the better. "The dear Lady only commanded me to come here and see for myself. What shall I do after that will depend on what will happen after this flower blossoms"

As if hearing his words the flower bud began to open slowly, emitting more light as it slowly revealed what was hidden inside. Gandalf raised his hand in an attempt to protect his vision, while the Ents backed away, undoubtedly weary of what might come out once the light ceased to shine. The flower pulsed once, twice, then flashed at its brightest for one last time before gradually fading out to reveal a young child no more older than ten years, dress in nothing but a thin sheet of cloth, sleeping peacefully unaware of the commotion surrounding her.

"A human child!"Treebeard exclaimed, openly flabbergasted at the sight before him.

The Ents started to chatter, their voices too fast and too frantic for Gandalf to understand, however he paid them no mind as his sole attention was directed to the child. Who now that he observed closely, had a long hair which bore the same color of the flower that gave birth to her, a strange lozenge shaped symbol marked her rather wide forehead. Slowly her thick lashes fluttered open revealing eyes like emeralds, big and shining with curiosity. She seemed to resemble a young Elf with her fair coloring but unlike the Elvish folk her ears were not pointed.

The child slowly sat up from where she lay fixing her gaze on her surroundings. When she saw the tall man situated in between the towering, talking trees, her eyes widened further as if by recognition. Gandalf seeing his chance, stepped closer to this strange child and stretched his hand in an acknowledgment, "Greetings dear child, I am Gandalf the Grey."

The Ents suddenly stopped chattering, waiting to see what will happen next. The child with petal hair only smiled, "Sakura" she uttered in a hoarse voice.

"Sakura?" The Wizard paused in wonder then slowly inquired, "Is that your name little one?"

The child nodded in agreement, delighted that he understood what she was trying to say.

"A Strange name, yet somehow quite befitting. You can understand my language, but can you speak it?"

The little one tried to open her mouth but only a soft gasp came out, "Sakura" she said once more bringing her right palm to chest as if to assert her point.

"Yes, yes my dear child I know that is your name" Gandalf stood up straighter while he pondered their situation, "You seem to be not quite grown, and I must admit my dear, a little smaller that I expected. With your strange coloring you appear to be unlike any individual I have ever seen..." the Wizard trailed off, tilting his head he quietly considered the creature in from of him, '_Just like Lady Yavanna said.'_

"I see it your eyes, you understand my speech but you can not say it..."

"Maybe she was given a curse?" Treebeard suggested helpfully.

"No, Lady Yavanna would never give us a tainted being. And she does not seem to emit a malicious aura..."

Youngster nodded eagerly at this, silently agreeing to the Wizard's observation. Gandalf quickly came to a decision, placing his right palm to the child's head the Wizard murmured an ancient spell, Sakura felt the warmth that came from his palm travel down to her throat, strangely it did not burn nor hurt her. Gandalf then removed his palm from her head, motioning for her to try talking.

The little one rolled her tongue, trying to form the words for the first time, "T-Thank you-u" she said.

"A slight stuttering but one that can be cured with practice" Gandalf nodded pleased that the spell worked and that they now both speak in the common tongue. "My dear child if I may so boldly ask, where did you come from?"

Sakura stared at the old man before her, he was so tall that she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. She knew this man, seeing as before she was sent here, the Valar showed her his likeness, advising her to seek him out no matter what. For she will need his aid as long as she wished to accomplish her given task. At present she know nothing of this world and its people, he was the only person she could turn to for help. Around him the talking trees moved as if impatient for the answer.

"I-I came f-from the Aman" she answered, though this form of speech was new to her, she had the feeling that she could get used to it in time. "They sent me after R-Radagast"

At this Gadalf looked visibly surprised, "Are you his replacement then? Are you a Maiar too?"

"Y-yes and no to both your questions." Sakura replied, " I am not of your race Master Gandalf, I am but a mere handmaid for Lady Yavanna"

"But why did she send you?" The Wizard tilted his head clearly bewildered with this new piece of information, then as if remembering his manners he suddenly amended "Please do not be upset I did not mean to doubt you or your capabilities, I was simply taken aback."

Sakura only shook her head, "It is a-alright Master Gandalf. It is q-quite understandable for you to wonder, for I am not only a female but a child at that. I am not a Wizard like yourself and despite my appearance I am not an Eldar either. But please be assured that I am quite capable for the task that I am designated to"

The Wizard nodded at this obviously relived, but only by a small margin. "But then what are you?"

The child only smiled "I am Sakura"

"I believe we have already established that fact, child" This time it was Treebeard who spoke, clearly curious of her origins. At this Sakura only giggled, undoubtedly amused with them.

"What I am is of no importance, uhh..."

"Treebeard" Gandalf helpfully supplied for her, "He is an Ent and the oldest of his kind. You my dear are in his forest"

"Oh" The girl flushed, apparently embarrassed with her lack of manners, but quickly amended by bowing her head, "I am thankful to you Master Treebeard for allowing me to be here in your beautiful land"

Treebeard only raised both his hands, visibly abashed with the thanks and the compliments showered to him. "Please raise you head child, truthfully we were just curious as to what had suddenly sprouted in our forest, that we never had the chance to ponder about it" The Ent then turned to the Wizard beside him, "If Master Gandalf had not come like he did, we would have never known that you were sent here by Lady Yavanna and we might have viewed you as a threat the moment you came out of the flower"

Sakura raised her head, looked between the Ent and the Wizard sensing no jest coming forth from the two of them. Oh, she was truly lucky then for now that she realized it, if Gandalf did not come she had no way of explaining to the Ents that she meant them no harm, seeing that she could not speak the common tongue. Sakura then turned her the Wizard and bowed her head to his direction.

"Thank you Master Gandalf for coming as soon as you can"

"Dear child please raise you head, I only came here since Lady Yavanna ordered me to. You have no reason to thank me so profusely"

"But you clearly came with due haste when you could have just taken your time" Sakura ignored the request, she was taught to express her gratitude no matter how the small the deed, she was after all a divine being's servant, "Nevertheless please accept my gratitude"

"If that would prevent you from looking at the ground all the time by all means I accept it" At this Sakura snapped her head so quickly that her neck hurt from the sudden movement, face twisted in pain she sheepishly glanced at her surprised onlookers, "Now I think I will spend the rest of my life looking up"

A loud boom of laughter was heard from both Gandalf and Treebeard, clearly the young-ling was not only a stubborn one, but quiet a sassy one as well.

After a few minutes of laughter, Gandalf's eyes pinned Sakura seriously this time, she knew that he was quietly demanding an answer from her. She realized that she had to tell him everything she remembered, she knew that she could trust him since her Lady specifically told her that Gandalf would be her chosen guide.

The petal haired girl cleared her throat, "As I was saying earlier, it is of no importance who am I before, what matters is now and what future holds. I was sent here to replace Radagast in his duties as well as help you in anyway I can."

"If you are his replacement then do you know who took his life?" Gandalf pressed on further, "Did the council of Valar tell you anything before you departed? And why are you in that form?"

Sakura sighed, "Unfortunately the Valar did not tell me anything they know about Radagast's murderer, and if they ever did know who it is, it is not their place to tell us, you know that only faith can decided on how things will unfold, no matter how much we try to intervene" Her green eyes bore into him, silently imploring him to understand, Gandalf nodded once indicating that he did. She clearly saw something his eyes for her's softened once more.

"And as for this childish form, well with the shadow moving in these lands it was hard for them to transport me here in my adult form so the Lady altered my size, along with some of my powers" at Gandalf's troubled look she quickly reassured him "Do not worry Master Gandalf, I can assure you that as the time would pass I will grow up and will recover the power that was taken from me, but even then in this form I can perfectly take care of my duties"

"I was not worried about your duties you silly child" The Wizard gruffly corrected her, "These lands are not safe, even now the shadow lurks and I can not leave you here unprotected in your current form, while I go around Middle-Earth. "

"Oh" Sakura promptly blushed at this, but quickly recovered from her embarrassment, Gandalf had unknowingly given her the opening she needed.

"Then teach me Master Gandalf"

"What-"

Before the Wizard can say anything he was cut off by Sakura, "Lady Varda had predicted that five years from now the Ring will reveal itself to Sauron, then the hunt for the One Ring will start, while waiting for that, you can teach me the ways of the Middle-Earth"

"Did they tell you where the Ring is located?" Gandalf loomed over her, choosing to ignore the latter part of what she said, more focused on the whereabouts of the Ring, clearly planning to intimidate the answer out of her if he saw it fit. But unfortunately for him, she knew the location of the Ring as much as he did.

" N-no Master Gandalf" By the Valar, she started stuttering again, the old Wizard was really intimidating if he want in to, "You know that the Ring will bide its time, gathering its power until it the knows that it can withstand all the force that you will amass against it and none the sooner"

Gandalf visibly relaxed with her words, seeing the truth in it. Clearly no matter how much he willed it, the Fates would take their be-damned time.

But no matter, he would patiently wait it all out, for it seems Eru had given him another task in the form of this mysterious child. The Wizard looked around him obviously looking for a protruding root or a stump where he could sit. He knew that this talk of theirs would take a little while. Treebeard, who was openly eavesdropping in their conversation, was now comfortably seated in the ground while the rest of the Ent population was scattered around sitting or lounging quietly. Gandalf sighted at this, '_so much for secrecy'_, clearly no one was going anywhere until all this is settled.

With Gandalf still obviously taking his time looking around for a sitting spot, Sakura had no other choice but to help him, it was also a good time to test what kind of power still remained with her, so she focused her mind on the empty spot where the Wizard stood earlier, stretching out her right hand, Sakura sang a lullaby taught to her by the Lady of the Earth herself.

From the same empty spot a little sapling sprouted, shooting tiny leaves from its branches. As she continued to sing to it, Sakura weaved her fingers in the air, drawing familiar elemental signs she directed the form the sapling would take as it continued to grow, until it formed a high backed chair complete with armrests at both sides.

Feeling quiet pleased with herself, Sakura turned to see everyone's eyes on her. Evidently not used to so much attention, the girl could not help the but flush in embarrassment, "Ugh, please have a seat Master Gandalf"

To say that Gandalf was speechless was putting it mildly, he had never seen an ability quite like hers, an ability to give life.

Only Eru, the all knowing can give life out of nothing, even the Valar with all their mighty powers were never known to posses this kind of skill. This ability only manifested when she started to sing on a long forgotten language, with a voice so clear and so warm that it as if Eru himself went inside his very being and soothed his very soul. Even the surrounding Ents seem to emit enraptured auras, bathing the clearing with a blissful atmosphere.

'_A healing of the soul', _Gandalf thought to himself.

It was becoming quiet clear to the Grey Wizard why the Valar sent this frail and small child in their midst. '_No, not a child', _he quietly corrected himself, for even though she might look like it, Sakura's eyes show far more wisdom than any child she might appear to be.

Gandalf knew that if they ever survived the coming war, Middle-Earth will need this kind of healing. Physical scars can be mended and would fade away given some time, but it was the scars in one's soul that must heal to achieve true peace. And after experiencing this phenomenon himself, Gandalf would make sure that this child would be the one to lead the people of Middle-Earth down to that path.

"Master Gandalf?"Sakura hesitantly inquired, strange, the Wizard was just standing there staring at her as if she had grown two heads and all she did was sing the lullaby Lady Yavanna taught her!

At the sound her questioning voice Gandalf pulled away from his musings, walking in front of chair that Sakura made, he smiled winningly down at her. Gathering his robes, the Wizard sat comfortably in front of her. Noticing her bewilderment Gandalf assured her, "It was nothing my dear, I was merely bewitched by your voice. And someday I might ask you to sing for me again, if that is quite all right with you?"

Sakura too flustered by the compliment, merely nodded her head in agreement.

"Well then," Gandalf leaned more unto his seat "You were saying about a vision by Lady Varda herself?"

At this more familiar change in topic, the petal haired girl's eyes gleamed bright once more. Forgetting her momentary bashfulness Sakura focused at the task that she was given, she would never forgive herself if she would ever fail, after all she had a promise to keep. But first things first, she had to convince Gandalf of her plan.

"Well" She began, "As I was saying..."

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To be continued...

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Terminologies:

Eru- also called Illuvatar is the supreme deity of Arda and Middle-Earth, and Father of All.

Valar- are the powers of Arda, they represent the gods. Male Valar are called "Lords of the Valar"; females are called "Queens of the Valar," or Valier.

Manwe -King of Valar

Varda – Queen of the Stars and Manwe's spouse

Yavanna - Queen of the Earth, giver of fruits.

Miar - were those spirits which descended to Arda to help the Valar shape the World

Istari -Also know as the five Wizards, are Miar spirit sent to aid the people of the Middle-Earth against Sauron.

Aman - Place where the Valar live.

Mearh -a breed of wild horses in the north of Middle-earth

Lozenge - (), often referred to as a **diamond**, is a form of rhombus.

Eldar - Another name for the Elves, meaning People of the Stars.

*For further info please refer to LOTR wiki, Wikipedia or read the books.

AN:

Well hello there beautiful stranger! Thank you for reading my first ever Fanfic, I know it's not much but this is the best I can do without a Beta to edit for me, so if you ever saw any mistakes please feel free to tell me.

I decided to write this Crack Crossover Fic for a lot of reasons. First, I love both Naruto and Lord of the Rings, and Sakura and Legolas are coincidentally one of my favorite characters. Second, this story it is an attempt to encourage more writers for this crack shipping. Can you guys imagine how hard it is to ship an unpopular pairing? Oh the pain! No Fanarts and very few Fanfics dedicated to them, it was horrible!

It was the fic Jaguar Batter by slexenskee that really did it for me, the Author wrote it is so beautifully that I was just totally blown a way! Suddenly the idea of merging these two worlds didn't seem so bad, actually for me it became more fascinating, imagine all the possibilities! Unfortunately, it has been a year now since the Author updated and I was left hanging and dry which brings us to reason number three, I **obsessed **about it so much I kept dreaming about it even while I was awake and it kept me so distracted I started making mistakes at work, which I know is not a very good thing.

With no alternative, I had no choice but to let it all out in form of of this fic. Haha...

So in this story, I tried to incorporate a lot of Tolkien's myth and terminologies, taking my source from his books as well as the film adaptation and fan forums, after all, this is where story will unfold. It will be a slight AU at first then it will slowly branch out into whole new direction. I have not decided yet if I will add more Naruto characters to the story or I would just leave it for now as it is. You had been warned of the OCness of the characters, I don't care if you like it or not.

No, in fact I demand you to like it! This is fanfiction people, the characters will be OC no matter what we do!

In this fic I would refer to the diamond shaped mark in Sakura's forehead as a Lozenge, since I'm not really sure what people from the Medieval times call that certain shape, my choice was further cemented when I learned that in Eastern Europe a Lozenge symbol represents a sown feild and female fertility. Quite befitting don't you think?

Lastly please do review and tell me what you think of the story.

Thank you and have a nice day!

XoXoXoXoXoX

Ps: I need a Beta!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Wraith

**Author: **WenchBiscuit

**Beta-ed by: **stargazing-sweetie

**Summary**: Five years before the War for the One Ring occurred, Sakura a young spirit was sent to the Middle Earth by the Valar to aid its free people in the fight against evil that is Sauron. Well that was supposed to be the mission, no more no less. So why does her heart pound every time her eyes meet a certain Elven Prince's?

**Genre**: Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship, Action and Romance

**Pairings**: Haruno Sakura and Legolas of Mirkwood

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and Naruto are properties of J.R.R. Tolkien and Misashi Kashimoto.

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Chapter 2

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For the next three years Sakura learned all she could from Gandalf. She was taught of Middle Earth's history, its People, their language and their Customs. The rise and fall of one Kingdom to another ever since its conception, the ruling families and their races.

The pair traveled from the dwarven towns of the Blue Mountains, to the rolling hills and clear rivers of Minhiriath and Enedwaith, stopping by a small town in Gondor called Pinnath Gelin, and then crossing the valleys of Lamedon throughout the plains of Rohan.

Each place they visited made her fall in love with Middle-Earth all over again; its sheer beauty and vitality took her breath away. It made Sakura all the more determined to protect it. She may have failed in her past life, but now that Lady Yavanna had given her a chance to redeem herself she would rather die a thousand deaths than to be subjected to failure once more.

Gandalf and Sakura would only visit towns to replenish their supplies, never staying longer than one night. This was at Sakura's request; she pleaded Gandalf to keep her presence a secret from anyone he knew, never to utter a word even to his own chief Saruman.

When the Wizard questioned the need for all this secrecy, she explained that it was to better to be underestimated than to be overestimated, and to let the enemy think that in Radagast's death they had killed another ally of the Grey Wizard, _"Think of me as hidden dagg__er that you would only draw at the most opportune time. Besides I am still weak, I would be no help to you if we ever get attacked."_

So whenever they traveled Sakura would conceal herself in a long dark cloak, wrapping a triangular piece of cloth to cover the lower part of her face, only showing her eyes to strangers. She would never talk to the local town's people, preferring to let Gandalf deal with them. The pair would always attract attention wherever they went, the towering Grey Wizard and his small companion trailing behind him.

It was in the Field of Celebrant that the pair had decided to part ways. They were intercepted by a messenger Elf from Lorien, who had been tracking them down since their departure from Gondor. He said that he had come on behalf of Lady Galadriel, who had requested a meeting with the Wizard.

"Why don't you come with me? This is a good chance for you to see Lorien."

Sakura shook her head, "I have a different destination in mind" voice low for she had spied the look that the messenger Elf threw her way, undoubtedly curious of the reasons for her stranger attire while traveling with Wizard.

"To the North then?" Gandalf questioned, for he knew about her troubles. In one of their nightly talks around the campfire, she had told him of the worsening malevolent aura surrounding the lands; she was especially worried about the Rhovanion forest that Radagast left behind, knowing that it had been a long time since someone tended the place.

Sakura peered into the Wizard's blue eyes, silently confirming his question. "We have to part now my dear friend." Emerald eyes shining with utter sincerity, "Thank you for all the things that you have done, you have been a good teacher and wonderful friend to me, I could not have asked for more" She then tilted her head to the Elf's direction, patiently waiting for them to finish. "Now that your duties call I couldn't find it in my heart to keep you. You should have more faith in me, after all I'm a big girl now Gandalf"

True to her words, in the three years that they have been together Sakura steadily grew in height, and stature. When she first came out of the flower Sakura only stood a measly four feet and a few inches barely reaching Gandalf's waist, and was so thin and frail that Gandalf feared that it would only take a strong gust of wind to blow her away. But now with the steady supply of proper food, daily exercise and mystical powers to aid her growth, Sakura would end her journey with the Wizard as a young girl at the cusp of womanhood.

Gandalf would often tease her about her looks, saying that he would soon have to beat flocks of men away from her with his staff. In return Sakura would only laugh at his words, never taking him seriously. After all, if Gandalf's words were to be believed, they were far more beautiful creatures roaming the Middle –Earth.

Finally the Wizard reluctantly nodded his assent, cautioning her to be careful on the road for word had traveled to them that a pack of vicious Orcs and Goblins had been raiding towns at night. Sakura promised to be careful, before playfully reminding Gandalf that they should not keep the messenger waiting.

And so before the streams of Celebrant the pair parted ways, Gandalf and the Messenger Elf heading to the east, while Sakura took the route that would lead her to the north.

Two days of hard travel and she had finally reached her destination. Standing just outside the Mirkwood Forest, Sakura felt a momentary sense of dread settle at the pit of her stomach. The forest was truly a dreadful sight, far more foreboding than the Forest of Death. It held a quiet sense of malevolence, a promise of certain death to whoever dared to go inside. And from where she stood she could see the creatures hiding under the shadows of dried-up trees looking at her as if daring her to come in.

In a span of a few seconds Sakura felt her unease melt into anger, not at these creatures but at herself. She was better than this! She refused to be crippled by fear just like in the past, unable to protect those who were precious to her. Besides, it was entirely too late to back out now, with her horse set free earlier to roam the plains, she had no other place to go.

Sakura bent down to retrieve her luggage; from which she drew her custom-made Katana, slinging it behind her back. She could never imagine herself wielding the heavy broadswords worn by the people of Middle-Earth; it was too lanky and did not fit her fighting style. So when she saw her chance she had begged a Dwarven sword smith to make one for her, all the while trying to explain to the bewildered Wizard why she needed such a weapon. It was safe to say that on that day, it was Sakura's turn to teach Gandalf.

Now with her things safely tucked under a hollowed tree and sword fastened behind her, Sakura took the first step towards her new home.

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Beyond the Mountains of Mirkwood

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Torture. That was the first word that entered Tauriel's mind as she looked at the commotion unfolding before her eyes. The red head was currently in the middle of a council meeting between King Thranduil, his son and heir Legolas and his four council advisers that were made-up of the oldest Sindar Elves in Middle Earth.

They were currently discussing whether it would be a good idea to send some troops south of the border to investigate an anomaly.

A year ago the leader of the scouting group, Aenil, returned from his patrol, reporting an unusual movement from a group of Orcs camping a few miles from their borders. The Elf said that he and his men were about to take the group down when there was a sudden explosion. The Orcs, now alerted of the noise, went to investigate but never came back, abandoning their weapons and other possessions.

In the months that followed, they would often get reports of loud explosions and sudden bursts of light coming from the south. Scouts would comeback in the middle of the night saying they had seen a dark figure wandering around the foot of the mountains, or floating above tree tops, its movement too fast for anyone to see.

For the Elves of Mirkwood who had long been wary of the movements in the southern part of their forest, this piece of information was very alarming. No one had really dared to cross the southern borders before, especially since the disappearance of the brown Wizard. A year ago they knew what kind of darkness lurked beyond their mountains, killing the forest and desecrating the remains of Oropher's once majestic kingdom. Now it was a different story. If these things were to continue, there was a great possibility that their realm would be the next target.

Tauriel would never let that happen. As the Captain of the Guards, it was her duty to make sure that everyone was safe. So with those thoughts in mind she had requested her king to form a scouting party that would enter the forest and investigate.

That is, if she could get the rest of the council to agree. Three out of the four elders were extremely leery of the idea, saying that they should just wait it out and see how these strange events would unfold, and that sending troops would only be seen as an act of invitation to whomever or whatever now resided in the southern part. Tauriel had never been so angry in her long existence.

"Wouldn't it be better if we go out there" Bahrad, one of the council members, gestured to the south in an attempt to control his temper, "and see for ourselves what is really happening? We cannot just sit here and wait for whatever it is to attack us." Bahrad was the only one who expressed his support of her plans.

"It is too dangerous" Ireth, a female council member said, fixing a cold glare in his direction. "We cannot risk the lives of our people by venturing into that forest."

"We risk it even now" Bahrad countered, "sitting here waiting for it to come to our gates; it is better to know our enemy than to be caught unprepared."

"How can you be sure that they will survive to come back here and warn us" Eonar, also a member of the council, asked "Maybe the moment they enter the forest Tauriel and her men would be ensnared in a spell and it could kill them instantly. Do I need to remind you that we do not know the powers of this mysterious entity?"

"For all we know it might be a trap" Ancalime the oldest of the four, added. She was the most vocal in her opposition, coldly shooting down Tauriel's request from the very beginning. "It could all be an act, an elaborate ploy for us to send our soldiers.

"But it does not feel like it." Tauriel finally interjected, her patience reaching its limit. They were taking up a ridiculous amount of time contemplating about this matter, when they could have just sent her and the soldiers south.

_Arminas Tiwele_, they were the Elders! They were supposed to be wise and all-knowing not bitter and blind towards the circumstances surrounding them. "I saw it with my own eyes. The forest felt different, less dark and foreboding. The trees have been restored and the animals are starting to return. Our Scouts would always report sightings of this dark clad figure, whenever they would cross the borders but they would always come back unharmed."

"And let us not forget" Bahrad added, hands splayed in front of him as if to emphasize his point, "there is a slight possibility that this 'ghost'- as our people call it – could turn out to be a potential ally."

"Like I said, it is nothing but a trap" Ancaline insisted coldly, "If you insist on going Tauriel, you can go by yourself."

Tauriel stilled at the Elder's words, even Bahrad looked at the older female in surprise. Standing beside her Legolas stiffened, obviously upset on Tauriel's behalf. "Lady Ancaline, I believe that you have been extremely rude to Tauriel. She does not deserve those carelessly thrown words from you for she only has the best interest of our people in mind."

Turning to his father who was silently observing the scene while sitting on his throne. Legolas motioned to him and said, "I believe that everyone has already said their thoughts on this matter. It is your decision to make, my Lord."

Thranduil glanced at his council, their words of caution were beyond wise but he could not refute Bahrad's and Tauriel's logic, for he too had been curious of what lies beyond the mountains and there was only one sure way of knowing.

"I will permit this little excursion of yours Turiel" Thraduil stated, Ancaline opened her mouth as if to protest, but one withering look from him and she closed it once more. "However, you can only take those that are willing to go. If you deem it too dangerous you will take your men and retreat, do you understand?"

Tauriel bowed her head in thanks, "Yes my lord."

"I trust that you have a plan then?" at the Captain's nod Thranduil once more leaned in his throne, and with a wave of this hand he dismissed her, "Very well then you may go now."

At his words both Tauriel and his heir stood up and bowed to him before leaving the room. Once they were out of hearing Ireth turned to him and asked, "Are you sure about this my Lord? It does not seem wise to send our troops to the unknown."

"I am not." the King of Mirwood admitted, a rare feat even for him. "However I have witnessed for myself what Tauriel speaks of, and I must admit that I too am just as curious as her. The dark aura that has surrounded my father's former lands has been reduced to nothing, and I do believe that if there is any evil left in that forest, no animal would dare comeback to it. Yet even now the birds are flying southward as if drawn by signs of new life."

"Besides it is possible that my son will go with Tauriel,"the King of Mirkwood spoke in a voice full of confidence, pride evident in his eyes, "and that is all the assurance you will need."

True to his father's words, Legolas accompanied Tauriel, along with Aenil and his men, who insisted on coming with them, saying that they would lead them directly to the abandoned Orc camp. The group left at sunrise with a total of eight Elves. It only took them one day to go through the rivers and mountains, never stopping for a rest. They crossed the borders before sunrise the next day, a true testament of their superior physique and endurance.

Legolas could immediately see the truth in Tauriel's words. Long gone were the twisting gnarled trees and rotting vegetation; in their place grew healthy plants, green and gleaming with life. The scent from the newly blossomed flowers replaced the vile Orc stench that previously perminated the air. He could see the abandoned camp, with its covered fire pits and tumbled tents, all covered in moss and clinging vines as if it had been abandoned for decades, not a mere year.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Tauriel breathed in awe beside him, "It reminds me of a long time ago, when we still lived here free and happy."

"Yes. But we still have to be careful, it might be an enchantment."

Tauriel nodded in afterthought, eyes scanning their surroundings. "We must move further south, all the way to Dol Gundur." she motioned for the rest of the troops, before quickly sprinting herself.

The further into the forest they went the more they noticed the changes that had occurred; trees had been cleared of spider nets and animals ran around freely, clearly unthreatened by their presence.

Stepping cautiously into the old fortress, Legolas drew out his bow and arrow, on guard of anything that might spring out to greet them. The rest of the group followed. They searched from top to bottom, finding nothing but stones and ruined statues. It was when Taureil suggested that they widen the area of their search that they found it.

A long strip of white paper marked with strange writings stuck on the outer pillars of Dol Gundur. With further investigation they found more pieces strategically placed around the old fortress forming a huge circle, no one knew what to make of it.

"Maybe it is a mark or a symbol for a certain ritual" Tauriel suggested, "I have never seen anything like this before; the quality of the paper looks familiar but the ink used to write on it is of a different kind."

"We also found some traces of battle" Aenil reported, slinging his bow behind his back, his men trailing behind him. "There were Orc tracks at the east side but they suddenly vanished. Aside from the animals, no other creatures were spotted in the surrounding area."

"It's a cleansing" Tauriel said, eyes bright with uderstanding, "Don't you see Legolas? Someone came here and drove those creatures away, cleaned Dol Gundur of their presence and restored the forest."

"We should not be so hasty to assume that, Tauriel" the Prince remarked, still suspicious. "We still do not know what these writings mean and their significance."

"Maybe if we remove these markings and take it back home someone might be able to decipher it for us" Aenil reached out between the two of them grasping the edge of the paper, obviously planning on ripping it out.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" a voice called out.

The group turned around to see one of their soldiers held captive by a dark clothed figure standing above a demolished wall, a long thin blade held against his throat.

From where he stood Legolas could see nothing of the stranger's face, except for the emerald green eyes glaring at Aenil. His head was covered by a dark hood. His body clothed in the same dark fabric, with a long sleeved shirt and tight fitting trousers tucked into ankle length boots. His torso was protected by a plain unmarked armor, and he wore fingerless gloves made of leather.

Aenil who was still holding on to the paper, cleared his throat and shouted, "Who are you? And what gives you the right to demand anything from us? Release my scout at once!"

Green eyes narrowed at him, "I have every right you fool! I cleared this area for a whole year, and I will not have it undone by a bumbling idiot like you."

"A fool you say? How dare you call me that!"

"Then what do call someone who would willingly touch a foreign object and plan on bringing it to their home? Idiot would be the most befitting word, don't you think?"

Aenil could only sputter in anger, unable to form a coherent reply. Beside him Tauriel moved forward, "Is it true then?" she asked, "You were the one who killed the Orcs and healed the trees?"

"What of it?"

"We are from the North and this forest was our previous capital" the red head explained, stopping a few feet away from them. "We noticed the change that happened one year ago, and we were curious so—"

"You came down here to snoop."

"No! We were -" Tauriel denied vehemently, and then stopped as if realizing the truth in his words, in a more hesitant voice she replied, "Well… maybe you could call it that, but we meant you no harm I swear!"

With the stranger's eyes trained on his friend, Legolas saw his chance and slowly drew one of his long daggers out, hoping he could save his captured comrade before anyone could notice. According to the soldier's reports, this man could walk above trees at unimaginable speed, floating like a ghost. No wonder that even with their heightened hearing they did not notice his approach until it was too late.

Green eyes immediately narrowed in his direction, no trace of surprise in his voice. "Please don't do that, Blondie. You're only making it worse for your friend here." The arm around the Elf tightened; Legolas had no other choice but to sheath his dagger once more.

"And you!" the figure gestured to Aenil, "Yes you, let go of that paper if you still want to see your friend alive" The elf hesitantly released the paper, eyes still focused on the stranger.

"Very good. That wasn't so hard was it?"

"We already did what you asked, release him" Legolas demanded coldly.

"We'll see about that" With one strong push the stranger released the Elf, then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Every one immediately drew their weapons, ready for any attack.

"You Elves should lighten up a bit." A voice said above them. The group looked up to see the stranger perched on one of the remaining high pillars, propped on one knee and looking down on them, his thin sword sheathed at his back.

"I consider it wise to be wary of strangers that recklessly point their swords at people" Legolas answered wryly, his arrow still aimed. The dark figure only chuckled at his words.

"You can put your arrows away, Blondie. Now that you're not threatening on undoing all my hard work I can assure you that I won't stab you or your friends." At the Elf's doubtful look he held up his right hand and muttered, "I swear."

The Elves reluctantly lowered their weapons; it was clear that they were still on guard, postures stiff and alert.

"Based on your clothes and appearance it is quite safe to assume that you're the original dwellers of this forest, the Elves of Mirkwood " the stranger observed, no trace of hesitation in his voice. He then turned to look at the Elf he captured earlier, "Please forgive me for threatening your life, I acted in haste. You were about to rip off the seal that protects this place, and I had to stop you no matter what."

"By pointing your sword at one of my soldiers?" Aenil asked scathingly, his pride still clearly smarting by the insult given to him earlier.

"Well it had the intended effect, did it not? You did let go of the seal and quite frankly that's all that matters to me."

"Why you –"The sputtering Elf was once again cut off by Tauriel, "Who are you? Where did you come from? What happened to the creatures living here before? Were you the one who healed the plants? If so how did you do it?" She asked swiftly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." The man raised his hands as if to ward off her rapidly fired questions. "One question at a time, my Lady. You wouldn't want me to miss out on the details right?" At Tauriel's sheepish expression the stranger propped himself more comfortably on the pillar.

"Well to answer your question, it really doesn't matter who I am or where I came from. I confess to killing the Spiders and Orcs, they're buried underneath us as we speak. And as for the plants, without those creatures' vile presence to poison them they simply thrived once more."

It took a moment for the Elves to completely comprehend his words; their faces grew more bewildered as the seconds passed by, for the stranger did answer their questions yet evaded them as well.

"Then what is your purpose here? Who do you serve?" Legolas asked more thoroughly, it would do them no go to let an unknown entity run around their borders, unchecked.

"I serve no one and everyone, Master Elf. If you are really vehement on knowing the purpose of my presence here I can only tell you that I have been sent here to replace the Brown Wizard."

"Radagast? But he is–"

"Dead? "the stranger interrupted, "Yes, he did pass away a few years ago, a sad thing actually. That is why they sent me here, to replace him."

"How do we know that you are telling the truth" Aenil suspiciously asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"You can't. It would be stupid of you to take my words at face value. But if it helps you sleep at night, you can look for Gandalf the Grey, he can vouch for me." The stranger sighted as if suddenly tired of them and their suspicions. "Look, you can doubt me all you want, you can even send people here to you know visit the place or something, I care not. All I ask is for you to leave the seals in place unless you want to invite those creatures back here. I would be seriously pissed off if that happens."

He suddenly stood, up ready to leave. "And just another reminder, please leave the southeast part of the forest to me" he said, pointing at the said direction, "I like my privacy, please do not bother me", before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving eight bewildered Elves behind.

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To be continued….

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**A/N:**

Hello beautiful people! I would like to thank everyone who Reviewed, Followed and 'Favorited' the story. I'm sorry that it took me so long to update, my laptop was not cooperating and the blasted thing kept dying on me, so I had no other choice but to write and upload this chapter at work.

I would also like to thank my beta, **stargazing-sweetie**, for being so patient with me. It would have taken me longer if it wasn't for her help.

XoXoXoXoXoX

Aenil and the council members are all my original characters. As for Tauriel, she was a character designed by Peter Jackson for the Hobbit films. I wasn't really sure on how Elvish Monarchy works, so I kind of just assumed that like any kingdom the King would have a group of ministers or a council to advise him.

The council was actually named after my family, hehe. I just entered their names on an Elvish name generating site and used whatever popped out. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't check if it's really accurate or not.

Hopefully I could update within this week (fingers crossed on this one!).

Don't forget to leave some reviews! Thank you and have a great day!


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